


It Happened Once at Target

by iaminarage



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Shopping, F/M, First Meeting, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 22:00:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9036035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iaminarage/pseuds/iaminarage
Summary: It was December 23rd, and Mercedes Jones hadn't bought even one present. It seemed like the world was conspiring against her when she knocked over a stack of toys at Target. Or was it?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to januarium and dievampiredie for the read through. Happy Holidays to everyone who is celebrating.

Mercedes felt something bump her hip, and she looked over in horror as a whole pyramid of Rogue One toys shook and fell over with a resounding crash. A bunch of the toys fell off the table the pyramid had been resting on and onto the floor.

With a sigh, Mercedes dropped to the ground and started gathering boxes up. This would happen to her today of all days. It was December 23rd, and she hadn't bought even one present. Her exams had only finished two days ago, and she'd flown home yesterday. The fall semester of her junior year had absolutely worn her to the ground, and she just hadn't been able to find the time to shop. She also couldn't find very much of her Christmas spirit. She was just too tired.

She'd only been on the ground scrambling for a second when a Target employee careened around the corner. “Are you okay?” He asked, sounding harried.

After a second he seemed to realize that she was on the floor. “Oh, you don't need to do that! I'll take care of it.”

Mercedes sat back on her heels and smiled up at him.  He was cute, in a blond surfer boy kind of way. The bright red Target polo and khakis weren't great for his coloring, but he still made them look good. “Don't be ridiculous,” she said with a smile. It felt like her first real smile in weeks. “I'm the one who made the mess. I should clean it up. And I'm sure you're having a long day!”

The boy dropped to the floor next to her and started gathering boxes. “It's been a crazy day, but honestly, it's my job. I can't let you do this. Besides, I'm off in half an hour.”

Mercedes grabbed a couple of figurines and stacked them together. “My mother didn't raise me to make a mess and not clean it up. You can help, if you want, but you can't make me stop cleaning.”

“I guess I'll have to take that deal,” the boy replied with a smile.

After a few minutes of gathering, Mercedes started to create a large square on the table to be the base of the pyramid. She wasn't exactly sure of the configuration the boxes had been in before, but she was sure they'd need a base.

“It's a 16 by 16 square,” the boy—Sam, according to his name tag—said. “I set up the Star Wars display a few weeks ago,” he explained when she gave him a curious look.

“You built this?” She asked, and he nodded. Mercedes felt a stronger wave of guilt.  “I really am so sorry I knocked it over.”

“It's okay! It's not every day I actually get to talk to a pretty girl at work!”

Mercedes’s eyes went wide, and she looked over at Sam in shock. She loved the way she looked, but she didn't usually get compliments from boys who looked like the sixth member of One Direction.

Sam seemed to realize what he'd said when she looked at him. “Oh my god, I'm so sorry,” he spluttered. “I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“I'm not uncomfortable.” Mercedes grabbed a few more pop figurines and arranged them inside the big square they'd created and resolutely not looking at him. “You're not so bad yourself.”

“Oh, I…” He trailed off.

Mercedes looked up, because it seemed clear he'd lost his train of thought. He'd turned a very amusing tomato red, and she couldn't help but giggle.

Sam bent down to gather up more figurines, but Mercedes had a feeling he was also trying to hide his face, so she took pity on him and changed the subject. “You made this display?” She asked. “Are you a big Star Wars fan?”

Sam stood up quickly, his embarrassment forgotten in his excitement. “Huge! I've seen each of the last two movies the day they came out!”

“Cool! I loved Force Awakens, but I haven't gotten to see Rogue One yet because of finals.”

“Oh man,” Sam said, putting his arm full of figurines down and starting on the second layer of the pyramid. “You're going to love it!” He held one of the boxes out to her. “This is K2-S0. He's my main man. Oh!” He handed her another box. “And this is Jyn. She's amazing.”

Mercedes couldn't help but laugh at his excitement. “I can't wait to see it!”

It took another 20 minutes for Mercedes and Sam to finish stacking the pop figurines to the way they were. They discussed Star Wars movies for a little while and then moved on to talking about school. It turned out Sam was getting an education degree from Ohio State and was working at Target to make money over break. Mercedes told him all about how stressed she was from taking her finals at Case Western.

When Sam reached up to put the last pop figure on top of the pyramid, Mercedes was almost sad to be done. She could remember the last time she'd laughed so much. And Sam had been so easy to talk to.

Sam looked around the floor and then looked up at her. “We did it!”

Mercedes nodded. “I guess I should let you get back to work, she said with a sigh.”

Sam glanced down at his watch. “Only for ten more minutes.” Sam took a breath like he was working up to something. “Hey look, I know we just met, but would you like to get coffee when I get off work?”

“I'd love to!” Mercedes replied, grinning. But then her heart sank. “Except I have to do all of my Christmas shopping today.”

“This might be a terrible idea, so feel free to say no, but I could go with you if you want? I have a lot left to do, too.”

“That would be amazing!” Mercedes said. Christmas shopping would be so much more fun if she had a buddy, and he might even have ideas for what to get her little brother.

Sam’s face lit up with a smile. “Awesome! I'll meet you by the exit as soon as I'm done?”

“I'll be there,” Mercedes replied.

Just then, a call came over Sam’s radio. “That's me,” he said, and then turned to walk towards the aisle he'd been called to. He only got a few steps away before he turned back around. “Wait! I forgot to ask your name!”

“It's Mercedes Jones.”

Sam smiled and nodded, as if deciding the name fit her. “I'm Sam Evans,” he said, “but you probably figured that out.”

“Better get to work, Sam Evans,” Mercedes said, as the call came over the radio again.

“See you in 15 minutes, Mercedes Jones,” he replied, and then rushed away.

As soon as he was out of sight, Mercedes did a little happy dance. She had a date for Christmas shopping and coffee with a cute boy! She had a feeling her Christmas spirit was on it's way back.

 


End file.
